Garbage-chute.



I. J. SHEPHERD.

GARBAGE CHUTE.

ABPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1913.

Patented Dec. 29, 191% Wl TN E 8 8E 8 FRANK J. SHEPHERD, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

GARBAGE-CHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application mea .Tuiy 21, i913. serial No. 780,149.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, FRANK J. SHEPHERD, citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washingtom have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Garbage-Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in chutes which may be employed in apartment houses, hotels and like structures to conduct garbage and other refuse matter from the several floors of such a structure to a suitable receptacle that may be located in the lower part thereof, and the object of my improvement is to provide a similar garbage chute which shall cost but little to install and which shall be economical and eiicient in operation. I accomplish this object by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section of a garbage chute containing my invention as it may appear when installed in a house; Fig.l

2 is an enlarged view of the same in vertical section on broken line m, of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a detail of my invention..`

Like reference numerals indicatelike parts throughout the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 8 is a tubular garbage chute preferably constructed of sheet metal, which may be disposed within a house to extend from the basement upwardly through the several stories of the house to project above the roof, its open top end being provided with a conical cap 9 that is supported in a position above its edges as shown, whereby rain may be prevented from entering the open end of the chute without obstructing the flow of escaping gases. Doors are provided in the chute 8 at such points as shall be easily accessible from each fioor of the building, such doors being of any desired type, although for the purpose of illustration I have shown a sliding door 10 in Fig. 1. The door 10 is provided with a handle 11 by which it may be raised and is adapted to be moved vertically in guides 12 provided on a frame 13 which is secured to the chute 8.

A guide rod 14 is provided on the frontl of the chute 8 and a clip 15 that is secured to the top edge of the door 10 is adapted to slide on the guide rod 14 to guide the top edge of the door 10 when such door 10 is being raised. A spring catch 16 is also provided on the front side of the chute 8 and is adapted to hook over the clip 15 to hold the door 10 when it is raised as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2.

-A perforated water pipe 17 is disposed directly below the lower edge of the door 10 and is so positioned within an offset 18 provided in the frame 13 as to be protected by the top portion of the offset 18 thus to insure that no garbage may lodge on the top side of the pipe 17. The pipe 17 passes outwardly through the side of the frame 13 and is connected with a water supply pipe 19 which extends vertically along the side of said .frame and is provided with a valve 20 that is adapted to be opened or closed by a crankpin 21 which engages with a pin 22 to open the valve 20 to admit water to flow from the perforated pipe 17 when the door 10 is raised and which also engages with another pin 23 to close the valve 19 to shut off the water when the door 10 is lowered to its closed position. Thus when the door 10 is raised, as illustrated by broken lines in Fig. 2, the valve 2O will be opened to cause water to be sprayed from the perforated pipe 17 which is so positioned within the offset 18 that no garbage may be dropped upon it, and such garbage that is emptied through the door 10 will first encounter the spray of water from the perforated pipe 17, which water will wash downwardly along the inside surface of the chute 8 and carry with it any particles of garbage that may tend to stick to said inside surface, the water and garbage being delivered into a garbage can 24 that is provided at the bottom ofthe chute 8 which garbage can preferably may have a perforated bottom 25 and be disposed to rest above aliquid receptacle 26 which is also provided with a perforated plate or` screen 27 and which is suitably connected with a sewer (not shown).

The bottom of the chute 8 is provided with a flaring hood 28, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, the top portion of which hood 28 is adapted slidably to fit over the outside of the end of the chute 8 and the flaring bottom end of which hood 28, is normally adapted to rest upon and cover the top of the garbage can 24 it being necessary to raise the hood 28 before the garbage can 24 may be removed. The hood 28 is connected by suitable mechanism with a flap valve 29 that is adapted to obstruct the chute 8 when the hood 28 is raised so that no garbage Amay drop into the receptacle 26 when the garbage can 24 is removed to empty it, said valve 29 being fiXedly secured to a shaft 30 provided to extend crosswise through an ofi"- set 3l formed in the chute 8, the shaft 30 having a iixedly secured lever arm 32 adapted to project outwardly througha slot 33 provided in the offset 31 and having its outer end connected by a link 34 with a U shaped lever arm 35 which lever arm 35 is pivotally secured to opposite sides of the chute 8 by pins l36 and is formed `to have ends that project backwardly from said ,pins 36, which ends are articulated with the top ends of links 37 (only one of which is shown 'inthe drawing) which links 37 have their lowerends larticulated with opposite sides of the hood 28, thus whenthe hood 28 is lowered as shown in Fig. 3,*the fiap-valvef29 will be caused to hang in a vertical positionwithin the offset 3l but when the hood 28 is raised, as shown in Fig. l, the upwardv movement ofthe hood 28 will act through its connecting mechanism to raise the flap-valve 29 into the position to close the chute 8 before the garbage can 24 can -be removed. lVhen the oute'rportion of the' U ,shaped lever 35 is lowered by raising the hood 28 it will be. caught by a hook' 38 and held in its lowered? position until released from such hook 38, thus insuring that garbage which lmay fall on the `valve 29 may be retained thereon till the garbage can 24 is replaced in its position beneath the chute 8.

The operation of my garbage chute is very simple and may be described as follows:

" Any desired number of such chutes may be installed in a building anda door provided on each one at a convenient point on each floor of the building. When garbage is lto be, disposed of, a chute door is opened and the garbage emptied within the chute, the opening of the door'automatically opensfa valve and causes water to be sprayed from the perforated pipe and the falling garbage encounters this water before it strikes the wall of the chute, thus wettingsaid garbage before it comes in contact with the wall of the chute and causing it more easily toV slide down said chute, the water continues to flow as long as the dooi` is left open thus washing down the garbage andflushing out the chute each time is used. When the garbage can 24 is lled it may be removed, the chute being automatically closed while such chute is y,being removed.

Obviously changes in detail and forms of `construction of my chute may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing any ofy its advantages.

posed on thelower-end of said chute to cover said receptacle for garbage, a valve provided lin the lower end lof said chute. -mechafnism connecting said l:hood and said valve whereby when said hood lis raised to permit said receptacle to be,A Inoved said valve is closedand meansl'ockingfsaid valve Iin said closed position.

2. The combination vwith a` garbage chute formed with a lateral off-set Vnear its lowerv end, of ay hoodslidably supportedat the lower end of said chute, a valve within said Chute, an armconnected with said valve'and adapted to project through a slot in said offset, and a lever having link connections with said arm and said hood. 1

3. The -combinationwith a garbage chute formed near its lower end with a lateral slotted offset, of a hood fslidably supported upon the lower end of said chute, a valve within the chute fixed to fa rotatable shaft, an arm projecting f roml said shaft and adapted to project through the slot of the off-set, a U-shaped lever fulcrumed on the outside of said chute, and links connectinglslaiddU-shaped lever with said arm and said 4. In a structure ofv the classdescribed, the, combination with a garbage chute, of doors provided in ysaid chute, a receptacle for garbage disposed at the'bottom of said chute, a flaring hood slidably associated with the bottom fend of said chute, a flap valve pivotally mounted inthe 'lower end ofsaid chute, and meansconnecting said lhood and said flap valve whereby when vsaid hood is raised said means may operate to raise-said flap valve to close said chute. l

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe;

my name' this'27th day of June A. D., 1913.

i FRANK J. SHEPHERD.

Witnesses F. C. MATHENY, A. Haskins. j

Conies of this patent may be obtained for'lve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner offraient@ Washington, D. C. f f 

